![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Over the years he was known for writing music and lyrics in the American vernacular: uncomplicated, simple and direct, with his stated aim being to "reach the heart of the average American," whom he saw as the "real soul of the country". "Alexander's Ragtime Band" sparked an international dance craze in places as far away as Berlin's native Russia, which also "flung itself into the ragtime beat with an abandon bordering on mania". "Alexander's Ragtime Band", performed by Billy Murray, Edison Amberol cylinder, 1911 For much of his career Berlin could not read sheet music, and was such a limited piano player that he could only play in the key of F-sharp he used his custom piano equipped with a transposing lever when he needed to play in keys other than F-sharp. He also was an owner of the Music Box Theatre on Broadway. He published his first song, "Marie from Sunny Italy", in 1907, receiving 33 cents for the publishing rights, and became known for international hits, such as 1911's " Alexander's Ragtime Band". His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook.īorn in Imperial Russia, Berlin arrived in the United States at the age of five. Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin Yiddish: ישראל ביילין – September 22, 1989) was an American composer and lyricist. ![]()
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